Automobile theft-signal



L. KLINKER.

AUTOMOBILE THEFT SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED Novl I3, 19I9.

Patented Mar. 15, 19x21.

dl'arney PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE KLINKER, OF SAN FRANCISCQOALIEORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE THEFT-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application filed November 13, 1919. Serial No. 337,788.

To ZZ w hom t may concern Be it known that I, LAWRENCE KLINKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new and useful Automobile Theft-Signal; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an automobile theft signal of that general type which includesv a shackle device adapted to be applied to the rim and tire of one of the wheels so that it is practically impossible for an unauthorized party to move the automobile or vehicle to which the theft signal is applied without attracting attention and making detection practically certain.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which is provided with means for positively engaging one of the wheel spokes so that the device can not be rotated into an inoperative position by the subterfuge of deflating the tire, and which embodies novel features of construction whereby it can be adjusted to fit different sizes of tires. This is a very important advantage, since it will reduce by one-half the stock which a dealer and manufacturer must carry at all times in order to supply the needs of customers having vehicles using the many different sizes of tires in common use. In this connection it will be remembered that it is necessary for these devices to fit the tire and rim closely so that it is impossible to rotate them into inoperative position, and with the ordinary construction now in quite extensive use a different size of theft signal is neces'- sary for each size of tire. This makes it necessary for a dealer to carry a large supply of these devices in stock in order to meet the many requirements of his customers, and it will be understood that an adjustable device such as that of the present invention which will enable the same needs to be supplied with one-half of the stock Will'be a great advantage to both the manufacturer and dealer.

Further objects of the invention are to provide an automobile theft preventing device of this character which can be quickly placed in operative position or removed therefrom, which can not be moved or turned into an inoperative position by the fsubterfuge of deflating the tire, and which can be securely locked in tire without difficulty.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a wheel with a theft preventing device constructed in accordance with the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side eleva-tionof the theft preventing device with the pivotally con nected shackle members swung into an open position and the spoke engaging arms removed.

- Fig. 3 is an elevation ofthe theft. preventing device with the shackle bars swung together and the spoke engaging arms swung into the plane of the shackle bars.

Fig. t is a detail view of the rim engaging end of the device withthe kspoke engaging arms swung into position in such a manner as to provide for engaging a large size of tire.

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the spoke engaging arms swung into position upon the opposite sides of the shackle bars and arranged so that the device will fity upon a smaller size of tire.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the device with the shackle bars in a closed position.

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views showing Va different form of lock for fastening the swinging ends of the shackle bars together.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the inner face of the pivot end of one of the shackle bars, showing one position of the spoke engaging arm by full lines and the other position of the's'aid spoke engaging arm by dotted lines.

Corresponding and like parts arev referred to in the following description and indicated position upon the in all the views of the drawings by the Ll i) complemental shackle loars which are adapted to fit upon opposite sides ot the tire and wheel rim, the inner ends oi the shackle hars being provided with inwardly extending lateral arms 2 which are pivotally connected at 3. .lt will also oe observed that these inner ends of the shackle hars have substantially straight and parallel inner side por tions l which are adapted to lit against op posite sides of the wheel rim to assist in pr@ venting possible rotation ot the device upon the tire and wheel. The outer end of one of the shackle loars is provided with a pointed head or wing e which projects radially from the tread of the tire when the device is in operative position. The swinging or outer end oi the other shackle loar is provided with a head which fits within a recess 6 in one side of the wing le and is adapted to he secured thereto when the device is in operative position hy some suitable lock such as that disclosed in Patent No. 1,311,404: which was granted to' me on July 29, 1919. ln Fig. l the device is shown as applied wheel including the usual spokes Z and telly 8. and a pneumatic tire Qheing fitted upon Vthe telly. lt will he observed that when the device is in operative position `the pointed wing 4L projects radially from the tread oit the tire so that it `would initially act as a chock, to resist rotation ot the wheel. While the vehicle might he moved if# sufficient `power `were applied to the wheels, the radially `projecting wing would he periodically brought into engagenient with the rod at each rotation of the wheel and causo an irregular jumping motion oi' the 'vehicle which `would attract the attention of any oilicer or observer and render detection practically certain. Furthermore, the wing would dig into the surface of the road at each revolution of the wheel, thereby causing the `vehicle to leave a. distinctive track which could loe easily followed.

The shackle hars lare suitably curved to lit around the telly andtirc of the wheeh and the portions l oi" the said shackle liars are provided with inwardly projecting pivot studs l0 upon which a pair oi complemental spoke engaging arms ll are pivotally mounted, said arms lacing adapted to he swung upwardly linto the plano ot the shackle bars when the device .is not in use7 and tohe swung outwardly so as to project upon either side ot the shackle hars for engagement with one ot the wheel. spokes l' when the device is in operative position. Thepivot ends ot the spoke engaging arms lliare of such a width as to he lorought sul)- stantially into engagement with each other when the device is in a locked position, and the outer sides of these spoke engaging arms are` provided with` flanges l2 which have openings 13 therein to receive the pivot to an automobile wheel A, said studs lO. ylhe ends of the pivot studs lO ay he flattened or upseta'tter they have been inserted through the openings 13 so as to hold the arms ll in position, and the flat taces oi the pivot ends ot the arms are termed, with transverse groovesV lei; which are in alinement with the openings 'lf3 and may provide a clearance space for the studs l() when the latter are inserted iii-position. The 'free ends oi' the spoke engaging arms llv are curved so as to iit around and embrace one oit the wheel spokes, and the extremity ot one ofi the arms terminates in a finger l5 which is adapted to lit in a corresponding recess inthe other arm, thereby 4locking the 4two arms together when the dei/*ice is fitted upon a tire in operative position.

lt will he observed that the pivot studs lO are located at tie central portion ci' the inner :faces of the shackle hars and that they have an eccentric connection `with the spoke engaging` arms. @wing to this eccentric pivotal connection 'of the spoke engaging arms with the shackle hara the distance hetwcen the said spoke engaging arms andthe crown C of the device, the crown being thatV portion of the device'which. lits upon the tread et' the tire, is'greater when the spokeV engaging arms are swung outwardly on one side of the device than when the said arms are swung outwardly on the other side of: the .device This enables the samelocking device'to he. used in connection with two different sii/ies of tires. lllhen the spoke engaging arms are swung laterally in such a direction as to provide the larger space lietween the crown oi the rdevice and the spoke engaging arms the device will lit a larger size of tire than when the spoke engaging arms are swung outwardly in the opposite direction. The position ot the arms when the device is `to he used on a larger size oli tire, is indicated by Fig. fl. while the posie tion ot the arniswhen the device is to he used on a` smaller size oi' t'ireis indicated hy Fig. 5.

As previously stated, this is a.

verv great advantage, since it decreases lov one-half? the size oit the stock which a dealer must varry to meet the demands ot his customers who may have all oi the many diliierent sizes oit tires which are iii-common use. Y Y f l .The recess 6 in the side ot the pointed wing d has undercut edge portions l? which receive the beveled edges 18 ot the head 5 and` coperate therewith to prevent the head from being separated laterally from the wing when the device is in locked iliosition. As an additional safeguard against this possible lateral separation ot the head 'from the wing7 the shoulder 17V provided at the end of the shackle har and adjacent the hase of the head maybe formed with a lug 19 which is adapted to enter a corresponding iso notch or recess 2Ol in the end of the wing l. rlhis lug cooperates with the beveled edges 18 of the head to lock the head against lateral separation from the pointed wing 4. This pointed wing may be provided with a key-controlled sliding lock bolt 21, such as that disclosed in Patent No. 1,811,404; which was granted to me on July 29, 1919, for locking the two shackle bars inl a closed position after they have been fitted around the felly and tire of a vehicle wheel and swung into a closed position.

A slightly modified form of lock is shown by Fig. 7, in which a rotary locking bolt 22 is journaled in the wing e, any suitable means being adapted to be used whereby the rotation of this locking bolt is controlled by a key. The end of the locking bolt has one-half thereof cut away to leave an offset lug 22a which is semicircular in cross section. The head 5 of the other shackle bar is provided upon the inner face thereof with a groove 23 which is adapted to receive the lug 22 at one position of the locking bolt. After the head 5 has been moved into a locking position the locking bolt 22 is adapted to be rotated to swing` the lug 22 into an elbow portion 23a at the inner end of the groove 23. The head is thereby locked in position against the pointed wing a so that it is impossible to swing the shackle bars apart until the locking bolt 22 has been rotated to bring the lug 22 back to its original position. It will be understood that when the device is not in use the spoke engaging arms 11 are folded into the plane of the shackle bars, although when the device is applied to a tire these spoke engaging arms are swung laterally so that they will fit around and interlock with one' of the spokes of the wheel, as indicated by Fig. 1. When applying the device to the larger size of tire these arms are swung outwardly in one direction, while when applying the device to a smaller size of tire the arms are swung outwardly in the other direction. These spoke engaging arms constitute an additional safe guard and make it impossible to rotate the device in such a manner as to bring the pointed wing 4t into inoperative position, even by the subterfuge of deflating the tire.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. A theft preventing device for automobiles including complemental shackle bars which are adapted to embrace the rim and tire of a wheel, and a member adjustably mounted within the shackle bars and adapted to be set in different positions to vary the effective distance between the rim engaging end of the device and the tread engaging end of the device for enabling the device to be fitted upon different sizes of tires, said member having' faces engaging the wheel to hoid it in an adjusted position when thedevice is operatively applied;

f 2. A theft preventing device for automobiles including complemental shackle bars which are adapted to embrace the rim and tire ofal wheel, and a member pivotally mounted within the shackle bars and adjustable into different positions for varying the effective distance Vbetween the rim engaging end of the device and the tread engaging end of the device to enable the device to be fitted upon different sizes of tires, said pivoted member being formed with faces which are adapted to be engaged by the wheel to hold the member in an adjusted position when the device is operatively applied.

r3. A theft preventing device for automobiles, including complemental shackle bars which are adapted to embrace the rim and tire of a wheel, and a reversible eccentrically mounted member carried by the shackle bars and adaptedl when swung in opposite directions to vary the effective distance between the rim engaging end of the device and the tread engaging end of the device to enable the device.to be fitted upon different sizesV of tires, said member being' engaged by the wheel to lock it in an adjusted position when the -device is operatively applied.

4. A theft preventing device for automobiles, including complemental shackle bars which are adapted to embrace the rim and tire of a wheel, a wing carried by the shackle bars at the tread engaging end of the device, and a spoke enaging member reversibly mounted upon the rim engaging end of the device and arranged to vary the distance between the tread engaging end of the device and the rim engaging end of the device to enable the device to be fitted upon different sizes of tires.

5. A'theft preventing device for automobiles, including complemental shackle bars which are adapted to embrace the rim and tire of a wheel, a wing carried by the shackle bars at the tread engaging end of the device, and an eccentrically mounted reversi-V ble spoke engaging' arm pivotally mounted upon the rim engaging end of the device and adapted to be swung outwardly upon opposite sides of the shackle bars, the eccentric mounting of the spoke engagingk membei` causing the effective distance between the rim engaging end of the device and the tread engaging end of the device to be greater when the spoke engaging device is in one position than in the other position, thereby enabling the device to be adjusted for engagement with different Vsizes of tires.

6. A theft preventing device for automobiles, including complemental shackle bars which are adapted to embrace the rim and tire of a wheel, and a spoke engaging mem- `ber adjustably mounted upon the rim enthe wheel when the device is operatively 10 gaging member of the device, and arranged Y applied thereto. Y

to be set in different positions tovary the In testimony whereof I liavev signed my distance between the treadengaging end oit name to this specification in the presence the device and the rim engagingend of the of two 'subscribing witnesses.

device and enable the device to be fitted d LAWRENCE KLINKER. upon diferentsizes of tires, said spoke en- Witnesses: gaging device being automatically locked NED SMITH,

in an adjusted position by engagement with HUGH EAsTMAN. 

